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Things to do in Seattle

National Nordic Museum

Twelve thousand years of Nordic history and the immigrants who built Ballard, in a striking building on Seattle's working waterfront, a short walk from the Ballard Locks.

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The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
Anyone with Nordic roots, design and Viking fans, and visitors who want to see Ballard as well as the museum.
Time to protect
Allow about two hours for the galleries, and longer if you add the Ballard Locks or lunch in Ballard.
Cruise-day fit
Ballard is north of the Pier 91 terminal, across the Ballard Bridge, so the museum is an easy ride the day before or after a Pier 91 sailing. From Pier 66 it's a longer ride north. Large bags aren't allowed, so drop luggage first.
From the terminals
Pier 91 is the closer terminal, a few miles south across the bridge. Pier 66 downtown is farther, through Belltown and Interbay. Neither is a walk.
Before a flight
There's no light rail to Ballard, and SEA is well over an hour's round trip away in traffic. Make it an arrival-day or free-day plan rather than the hours before a flight.

Make a Ballard day of it

The museum sits on Seattle's old fishing waterfront, with the rest of Ballard on its doorstep.

  1. The Ballard Locks

    The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are a short walk west. Watch boats rise and fall, look for salmon in the fish ladder's viewing gallery in season, and wander the botanical gardens.

  2. Old Ballard

    Restaurants, bakeries and shops line brick-paved Ballard Avenue, a few blocks east along Market Street.

  3. Golden Gardens

    Beaches, trails and views over Puget Sound, a short ride northwest of the museum.

Book a ride to the Nordic Museum →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    It's the only museum of its size in the United States to cover the whole Nordic region, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, plus the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Åland and Sápmi, home of the Sámi people, and the Nordic immigrants who came to America.

  2. 02

    The core exhibit, Nordic Journeys, covers 12,000 years: stone axes more than four thousand years old, the contents of a Viking grave, everyday objects from home and work, and twentieth-century modern design.

  3. 03

    Five galleries draw on the museum's collection of nearly 80,000 objects and on about 100 objects lent by the national museums of all five Nordic countries.

  4. 04

    The museum opened in 1980 in Ballard's old Webster School, moved into this purpose-built building in 2018, and was named the National Nordic Museum by Congress in 2019.

  5. 05

    Look for the troll, Frankie Feetsplinters, by the main entrance on the corner of NW Market Street and 28th Avenue NW. Freya, the café, serves Nordic food, pastries and coffee.

  6. 06

    Coat check is free, but leave large bags and backpacks behind, and pens too. Your ticket is good all day, so you can leave and come back. Admission is free on the first Thursday of each month.

  7. 07

    The building meets ADA standards, with wheelchairs to borrow and magnifiers for low-vision guests.

  8. 08

    Metro routes 17 and 44 stop right outside, at NW Market Street and 28th Avenue NW. There's a paid lot on the south side of the building, and the Ballard Locks lot is a five-minute walk.

Hours, special exhibitions and parking change. Check the National Nordic Museum's site before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours and tickets for the National Nordic Museum

Well-reviewed tours and tickets, with current prices. Check a date to see open start times, then book with Viator.

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Book tickets and tours

Pick a ticket time that leaves room for the ride back. Timed entry, guided tours and city passes all work; check the live price and times for your date.

  • Tickets and tours

    National Nordic Museum entry ticket

    General admission to the galleries in Ballard, with coat check. Special exhibitions are separate.

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  • Tours and activities

    Seattle tours and tickets

    Guided tours, attraction tickets and day trips around Seattle, including options near the National Nordic Museum.

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Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. You can also buy direct on the National Nordic Museum visit page.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: National Nordic Museum, 2655 NW Market Street

Starting from

Your fare is worked out for the exact trip on the next step, before you pay. Want the car to wait while you visit? Book by the hour.

Cruise day: the National Nordic Museum between the ship and your flight

Off the ship with a few hours before your flight? Book the ride from the pier and the ride on to the airport now, so each driver knows where you are going.

  1. Step 1

    Ride from the pier

    Pier 91 is the closer terminal, a few miles south across the bridge. Pier 66 downtown is farther, through Belltown and Interbay. Neither is a walk.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit the National Nordic Museum

    Allow about two hours for the galleries, and longer if you add the Ballard Locks or lunch in Ballard.

    Tickets and tours

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    There's no light rail to Ballard, and SEA is well over an hour's round trip away in traffic. Make it an arrival-day or free-day plan rather than the hours before a flight.

    National Nordic Museum to the airport

Big bags

  • Pier 66: Same-day bag storage is available. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.
  • Pier 91: Same-day bag storage in the Crew Center, north of the Ground Transportation Center. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.

Stored bags mean a stop back at the pier before the airport. To keep them with you instead, book a car by the hour and the driver waits with your luggage.

Planning the whole cruise trip? Keep the National Nordic Museum on it with the rides around it.

Plan the whole cruise trip

Not sure which pier? Find your ship and pier or compare Pier 66 and Pier 91.

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